Season Eight, Episode One Reconstruction
by KittieMcDowell
Summary: The New Watcher's Council is being formed two years after season seven, with the help of Buffy Summers and her Scooby Gang. But it's never that easy, as Jack the Ripper, a vampire copycat murderer, makes life that much more difficult.
1. Chapter 1

September 2005

This century's "Jack the Ripper" makes the original look like a schoolyard bully. His heinous crimes are marked by torn throats, tattered bodies, and bloody alleys. No clues are left except the calling cards he leaves: a single black rose covered in his victims' blood. His victims are young women, often of questionable repute, stupid enough to be on the streets after dark. The merry old town of London has become a dangerous city.

One woman, a young American in London on business, has decided that she's had enough of the grisly murders. Blond hair in a tight ponytail atop her head and jaw set in determination; Buffy Summers takes to the streets at dusk to find the madman.

Close at her heels are her best friends in the world: Xander Harris and Willow Rosenburg. The pair had known each other since birth and Buffy since their sophomore year of high school, when she had transferred from her school in Los Angeles. Nine years had been spent in crisis after crisis, always at each other's sides. Nearly inseparable, the trio didn't even need words to communicate their plan.

That, of course, is due to Willow's ability to send thoughts with her witchcraft. After discovering her innate talent back at Sunnydale High, Willow's power has grown considerably in a very short amount of time. It has even consumed her, on occasion, and has struggled to maintain control ever since.

Xander has no such issues in his life, except perhaps being a self-proclaimed "demon magnet." Ever the sidekick, Xander has bumbled his way to victory from his very first vampire slaying to defeating "evil Willow" with words of love just three short years ago. His dedication to the cause has never faltered and will remain loyal to his friends to the very end.

And then there's Buffy the vampire Slayer, the one girl of this generation chosen to battle the forces of supernatural evil. The one girl, that is, until recently, when Willow used her magic on an ancient Slayer weapon to transform any "potential" Slayer into the genuine article. They formed an army and defeated the First Evil, returning it to its dormant state, and destroyed the Hellmouth from whence it came, thus leaving the town of Sunnydale, California a giant crater. Now, Slayers are all over the world defeat vampires, demons, and other monsters, allowing Buffy a long-deserved break.

Rather than abandon her duty, however, Buffy opted to return with Rupert Giles, her Watcher, to London where they would rebuild the Watcher's Council, an organization of men and women dedicated to training and guiding Slayers in their quest. They have been doing this for two years, gathering ancient tomes and manuscripts that would prove vital in battling the unknown. They've also managed to gather a group of individuals to fill the ranks of Watchers that were left when the First destroyed the original headquarters in its attempt to rid the world of the Slayer line.

There is no rest for the weary, however, as now a new menace, taking the name of "Jack the Ripper" from its place in history, instills fear in the hearts of young London women. The gruesome deaths are enough to arouse the suspicion of a wary Giles and he has sent Buffy to investigate.

"I'm actually glad for a night out," Buffy says aloud to her two companions. "All this stuff with gathering books for Giles and scrolls for Giles and Kleenex when all the dust gets up my British nose for Giles. I mean, I'm a Slayer, for goodness sake--"

"I'll bet you were just weirded out saying 'a' instead of 'the' again," Xander pipes in jovially as he plays with the trigger of the crossbow he is holding. He stiffens with the "twang" of a bolt firing and hitting a nearby telephone pole. "Whoops."

Buffy retrieves the bolt, pulling it from where it has embedded itself and hands it back to Xander, who is smiling sheepishly. Interestingly enough, the eye patch he wears over his bum right eye adds to his whimsical expression. "Any chance you'll not shoot me in the back when we take down Jacky the wannabe Ripper?"

"I'll put up a protective field in time… like last time," Willow replies absentmindedly. She is reaching into the back pack she carries her spell components in. Various incenses, candles, and powders shift around until she finds the flashlight she was looking for. She turns it on and off again to check the batteries before slipping it into her belt loop. "What are we looking for?"

"Signs of struggle, bloody trails, screams for help?" Buffy suggests. "Well, the last one we'd be listening for."

"Anyone think that maybe we could use one of you lovely ladies for bait?" Xander says suddenly. The girls look at him incredulously. "Hear me out: Jack the Ripper only looks for vulnerable young women to cut up and eat or whatever. If one of you poses a vulnerable young woman--"

Buffy sighs. "Point taken. Which of us should be bait, though?"

"I'll do it," Willow says reluctantly. "He might recognize you, at this point, being the most famous vampire slayer in the world."

"I'm only the first one to share my responsibility, Will," Buffy says. "The first one to take my burden and hand it to any girl out there with any potential. Because of me, so many girls have lost the chance to have ordinary lives…"

"You saved the world, Buff," Xander says seriously. "From evil with a capital E. You did what you had to do. And any girl out there in her right mind will thank you for it."

"In fact, I think most of them have," Willow adds. "All the girls back at HQ love the powers you've given them. More pour in once they realize their potential. No one thinks you did a bad thing."

Buffy shrugs. "I hope you're right. But once they realize that they've given up their normal lives for one that keeps them out all night and kills their social life, they might sing a different tune."

"They can sing whatever they want as long as I'm not in the chorus," Xander says quickly, referring to the time when he had summoned a singing demon into the world by accident.

"Where should I wait to be taken advantage of?" Willow asks without thinking. After a smirk from Xander, she realizes what she's said and blushes deeply. "Um, I mean--"

"Any dark alley will do, Willow," Buffy pats her friend on the arm. "Xander and I will hide out and jump him when he goes after you."

The split up and wander the city, keeping tabs on each other in their minds while waiting for Jack the Ripper to make his move. They can't guarantee he'll even attack them tonight but they won't stop until they find him.


	2. Chapter 2

That Night

"I can't believe you spent all night being bait for a vamp that didn't even show up," Kennedy groans as Willow stumbles into their bedroom. She scoots aside to let the red head flop down beside her, face buried in the pillows.

"Yeah," Willow mumbles through the pillow case. "How will I ever explain that I got stood up by a homicidal maniac with no soul?"

Kennedy smiles and leans close, her lips inches from Willow's ear. "I would never, ever stand you up for a chance to bite your neck, lover."

Willow peeks up at Kennedy, her face pleasantly surprised. "You wouldn't?"

Kennedy shakes her head and nudges Willow aside so that they can lie together. Willow giggles and rolls over. "How was your night?"

"Duller than yours," Kennedy says, sighing heavily. She reaches down with one hand to hold Willow's while fixing her long brown hair with the other. "Faith drilled up 'wannabes' for hours. Like she'd totally forgotten that we've faced worse than her crop across the shoulders."

Willow sits straight up. "She hit you with a crop? Like, for horses?"

Kennedy smiles. "Yeah. Would have been great if it weren't Faith doing it."

Willow frowns pensively. "How can Faith get away with training you like you're in boot camp or something? The war's over. She and Buffy never had it that hard."

"She and Buffy had witches and werewolves and vampires with souls in their arsenals," Kennedy says. "We've got nothing but ourselves and whatever Watchers Giles can scrounge together."

"You've got more than that, Kenn," Willow says sulkily.

"I'm just the lucky one," Kennedy smiles. "Will you come to bed? I've got bruises I need you to magick away."

"What do you mean 'hard on them'? They're going to go out into the world, destroying vampires, demons, and door to door salesmen!" Faith explodes irritably to Robin Wood, the one man she hasn't managed to shake off. He folds his arms across his chest, her stern expression never fading. Faith actually squirms. "They've got to be hard."

Robin shakes his head and sits at the writing desk he's set up in the bedroom they've been sharing since moving to England. Faith had insisted that she didn't need his company but she's never actually kicked him out, either. She sits glumly on the bed, avoiding his eyes. "Why don't you tell me what's really going on?" Robin asks.

Faith doesn't speak for a moment, looking down at her feet. She sighs heavily. "The people who are volunteering to be Watchers… They're ordinary people. We're different. Stronger, faster, better and all that. They've got to protect their Watchers. Not get them killed—"

"Stop," Robin says firmly. "What happened to your Watcher was NOT your fault. At all. I want you to remember that. These people volunteered. They know the risks involved. They know that all their predecessors died in a terrible explosion caused by the minions of the embodiment of evil. Yet they're still here, having meeting after meeting with Giles."

Faith hangs her head. "These girls are going to lose Watchers. They're going to die. You beating them over the heads while doing push-ups isn't going to make any of them any better for it, got it? Lighten up. They'll make you proud," Robin gets up to sit beside Faith.

"You're such a principal," Faith counters lamely. She puts her head on his shoulder.

They live in a hotel that had been bought by one of the more wealthy Watcher prospects. Perhaps he thinks it will help his chances at making it or maybe he wants to help whether he joins the ranks or not. Regardless, the whole hotel has been turned into a building designed for offices, libraries, ritual rooms, and other useful things that those involved in the occult might need. The upper levels remain hotel suites, however, and they have been divvied up between the folks trying to keep the Slayer tradition alive, so to speak.

In the suite shared by the Summers' family, Dawn Summers is out cold in her bed. She's long since given up waiting for her sister to come home from patrolling and her days are better spent studying to qualify, according to Giles, for Watcher-hood. Having no powers or special abilities to aid in her sister's fight against evil, she has made it her goal to at least be the one to do the research officially. Xander is technically supposed to be studying with her, but he still manages to go patrolling with the original gang whenever he can.

Dawn opens her eyes when she hears Buffy enter, however. Ever since her death several years earlier, Buffy has had a terrible time trying to sleep. She often stays up watching infomercials or other mindless television until her younger sister wakes up to start her day.

"You awake, Dawnie?" Buffy asks as Dawn gets up to join her on the couch in front of the television.

"No," Dawn replies, shaking her head. "Sleep-walking. Keeps me useful."

Buffy looks at her sister, frowning heavily. "You know you're useful, Dawn…"

Dawn holds up her hands defensively. "I was kidding. Really. I know that I'm useful. And I'm getting more so every day. Just a little late night humor, you know, to bore you to sleep or something."

"Thanks, but I'm all right. You should get to bed, though. You've got work to do."

Dawn rolls her eyes. "And miss our sisterly bonding?"

"Go to bed, Dawn," Buffy sticks her tongue out at her younger sister.

"Oh, very mature. What a role model you are," Dawn grins. "Wait till I tell the other Slayers."

They both sit in silence. "Will that ever stop being weird to say?"

Giles is in bed, fast asleep, his glasses still perched on his forehead and a book across his chest. A crash of shattering glass jars him awake, however, and he bounds from his bed, stumbling sleepily and adjusting his glasses. He stubs his toe on a rock that's amidst the shards of broken glass. "Oh bloody hell!" he grumbles, staggering back and stepping on the glass.

Ignoring the pain, however, he reaches down to investigate the rock, which has a piece of paper tied to it. "Classy," he murmurs, unfolding the paper to reveal a messy note.

"Your Slayer missed me tonight," the note reads. "She wants to meet me; she's got to do it on my terms. Instructions will follow. Sincerely, Jack the Ripper," the name is signed in blood. Giles drops the paper in disgust and hurries to find Buffy.


	3. Chapter 3

Day Time

Giles is at the head of a long table with the rest of the gang; Buffy, Willow, Xander, Dawn, Andrew, Kennedy, Faith, and Robin seated around the table. Some are wearing robes or nightgowns while others, like, Xander, are in what they sleep in: in his case, a pair of boxers and a grubby white t-shirt.

"What have we done to deserve this?" Dawn asks sleepily, rubbing her eyes. She'd managed to get back to sleep after talking with Buffy for a little while. The rude awakening by Giles had not been met pleasantly.

"We're being threatened by Jack the Ripper," Giles says quietly, with a look that shows he won't tolerate their shenanigans about this.

Buffy sits up straighter in her chair, still in the clothes she'd been wearing during their patrol. "What does he want?"

"To meet you, Buffy," Giles says. "Apparently your attempt to find him hasn't gone unnoticed."

"Oh good, I'd hoped I'd played the vulnerable act up," Willow says a little more excitedly than she means. She frowns. "I mean, damn him."

"What do I have to do," Buffy asks.

Giles shrugs and drops the note on the table. "Here's all he left. The fact that he knew where to find us or where my room was specifically is what worries me."

"Not that he can come in and get us, right?" Dawn replies. "We're safe unless someone invites him in. And we all know not to invite anyone strange in, especially after dark."

The group suddenly looks at Andrew accusingly. The young man throws his hands up. "What? The one time with the pizza guy was an accident and he wasn't even a vampire!"

"In any case, we have to be on our toes," Robin cuts in. "There's no way we can allow this Jack the Ripper, or any vampire, into the hotel. This is a critical time, with too many innocent lives within our walls. We owe it to them to keep them alive until we can establish a new Council."

Faith puts a hand on the table. "Let's time out on the Ripper knock-off," she eyes Giles pointedly momentarily before continuing. "Can someone explain to me again why we even need to have another Council? In case we've all forgotten, it wasn't too long ago when we weren't entirely thrilled with the way things were being run anyway."

Kennedy sneers. "It's in case we suddenly have a rogue Slayer running around killing innocent people."

Standing up abruptly, Faith leans deeply over the table, putting her nearly eye level with Kennedy. "You got something to say, Slayerette? We're all ears here."

"I'm not saying anything that's not on all of our minds," Kennedy says, not backing down. "We've got a whole army of Slayers here. What's to keep any one of them from doing what you did? There were no consequences. There was no justice. You went to regular jail for a little while. Big deal. What if one of these girls decides to do what she wants only to expect that we'll welcome her back as soon as she 'proves herself' in a time of crisis?"

Willow puts a hand on Kennedy's shoulder. "Sweetie, that's not what we're here to--"

"Nah, Will, let her go. She seems to think that she's at the grown up table because she's earned it," Faith says. "Not because she's up the skirt of--"

"That is just enough, thank you very much," Giles shouts. Faith and Kennedy sit down slowly, not breaking the staring contest they've gotten into. "Now is not the time to discuss who is where and why. Nor is it the time to discuss whether a new Council is a good idea or not. Jack the bloody Ripper has got his sights on Buffy and we need to put an end to his madness once and for all."

No one says anything for a few minutes. They sit in silence, thinking harder on the task at hand than they need to, avoiding the uncomfortable issues that have just been literally brought to the table.

"Let's just find out what his instructions are," Xander says finally, looking around at everyone through his good eye. "There's really nothing else we can do, right?"

There are no arguments. Faith gets up first and storms from the room. Kennedy stands as though to follow when Willow reaches up to yank her down by the arm roughly. Kennedy opens her mouth to protest but Willow's harsh expression is hard to fight.

"In the meantime, then, we'll start organizing all the interviews," Dawn says weakly. "There are a lot of people here to take place as Watchers. Most of them distraught family members of the former Council members. We've kept them waiting long enough, I think."

"Maybe we should get into day clothes," Willow suggests, her attempt at humor mussed by the serious look on her face. "I don't think they're going to appreciate us in our jammies giving their interviews."

"Tension seems to be running high," Andrew confides to Dawn as they head toward the conference room they'd set up in the former banquet hall of the hotel. "You think we're being cooped up too much? All stuck together like this?"

"You're not cooped up anywhere, Andrew," Dawn replies irritably. "You choose to be here."

Andrew looks at Dawn seriously. "Where else would I go, Dawn? If Sunnydale hadn't been reduced to a smoking hole in the desert, I would be a murderer."

"You still are," Dawn says. "Just because there's no proof that you did anything wrong now, you're still responsible for the death of your best friend."

Jonathan, a boy that Buffy, Xander, and Willow had gone to high school with, was killed to open the Hellmouth. It had been Andrew who had given the fatal wound that had killed his best friend, providing the sacrificial blood required to open the pit for the ancient vampires to attack humanity. Fortunately, it had also been Andrew's tears which had re-closed the gate until the Slayers were ready to face the First. That fact still doesn't change the way most of his companions feel about him, however.

"So," Andrew continues as though Dawn hasn't said anything. "Why are we the ones greeting the Watcher hopefuls anyway?"

"Because the others have more important work, sitting around waiting for Jack the Ripper to contact them," Dawn's voice has a bitter edge to it. "Giles will be down in a bit to give a better explanation of everything but we're the only ones not stuck in a project or in a huff over who has the right to be where, and all that other crap."

Andrew is quiet. He grins suddenly. "At least we get to see everyone first! We're what everyone there's going to expect from here."

Dawn hangs her head. "Great. I'm so excited."

They enter the conference room and freeze, looking at the dozens of men and women seated in the stadium-styled seats before a stage. Dawn and Andrew exchange worried glances before stepping up to the stage. A few people cough but no one says anything as they wait.

Dawn clears her throat nervously. "Um, hello, ladies and gentlemen. I think the first thing I should say is 'thank you'. Thank you for coming all this way. You all know the danger you are putting yourselves in. Many of you have lost loved ones in the tragedy that happened two years ago."

"Nice start," Andrew whispers.

"Shut up," Dawn hisses back. She raises her voice to continue. "The second thing I need to say is that we're not without obstacles. We're severely under funded, despite the generous donations made. We're going to struggle to build this Council to its former splendor. But, for now, it's going to take a lot of hard work and sacrifice. That being said, is there anyone who wants to leave?"

"Where are you going?" Willow demands as she watches Kennedy pack a small bag from the dresser they share.

"Somewhere. Anywhere," Kennedy snaps as she zips the bag shut. She slings the bag over her shoulder and heads toward the door.

Willow stands between Kennedy and the exit, her arms folded across her chest. Kennedy tries to push through but Willow won't budge. "Let me go, Willow."

"No," Willow says. "Not until you tell me what makes you think that leaving here is going to solve anything."

Kennedy drops the bag with a thud. "She's right and you know it. The only reason I have any place here is because of you."

"It's because you're a Slayer, Kenn," Willow starts.

Kennedy holds a hand up. "Let me finish. I'm here, with any place where I feel I belong, because of you. Call me egotistical but I think I'm strong. Damn strong. And it's no secret that there are some Slayers that are more powerful than others. I heard there's a girl that can barely lift a stake but her body heals way faster than any of ours do. And Buffy's reflexes are better than Faith's. And--"

"What's the point, Kennedy?" Willow interrupts.

"Not only do my strengths balance but I'm also stronger than most of these other girls. Maybe as strong as Buffy or Faith. I belong with you guys. But no one sees it that way. I'm 'Willow's rebound girl'. Kept around because I ease the pain of Tara's loss."

Willow flinches at the mention of Tara's name. Warren had shot at Buffy and a stray bullet had killed her girlfriend right before her eyes. The pain is still there. It is always there. No one talks about it anymore, feeling as though Willow's over it but she and Kennedy know better. "I'm going to prove to everyone that I belong here. I belong here more than Faith does, that's for damned sure."

With that, Kennedy takes her bag and pushes through Willow, who seems to be in shock from their conversation. She stands there, alone, for a few minutes before closing the door and lying down in the bed she's been sharing with Kennedy since relocating to England.


	4. Chapter 4

Another Night

Another note has arrived, delivered in the same manner. Giles hands it to Buffy without saying a word. She unfolds it and reads; a grim expression on her face. "How nicely you've delivered a lovely lady to keep me occupied while I wait for you. Hurry, I have yet to master keeping them alive for long. Signed, Jack the Ripper."

"Who, Giles?" Buffy asks simply. "Who left?"

Giles shrugs. "I don't know, Buffy. I brought this to you directly. I haven't had time to search yet."

"Find out. If it's someone we know, we can have Willow do a locater spell. We'll find him before he can hurt her too bad," Buffy says.

Giles nods and leaves to find the main office, where an emergency P.A. system has been set up. He presses the transmit button and announces: "Attention everyone in the building. We need everyone to gather in the conference room for a head count. Excuses will not be tolerated. This is a mandatory headcount. If you are not there in five minutes, you will be considered missing."

Buffy is in the conference room in less than a minute. It's not long before men and women pour in, many of which appear ready for bed. Buffy stands at the podium, scanning the crowd and making the count in her head. She is soon joined by Giles and Xander. "What's the buzz about?" he asks seriously.

"Someone's missing. Jack has her," Buffy says simply, eyes still on the people filing in.

"Jeez, it's always something," Xander mutters as he starts to make his own count.

Faith and Robin take their places behind Buffy. Rather than ask anything, they begin their own count. Dawn comes in with a clipboard and starts checking names. "Good thinking, Mini-B," Faith says as an aside.

"Someone has to be organized around here," Dawn replies. "And don't call me that."

"Hey, where the hell is Willow and Kennedy?" Buffy suddenly asks.

Dawn puts down her clipboard. "Mystery solved. They're whose missing."

"The note only said one," Giles says slowly. "But I wouldn't hold it against a vampire to lie and use extra leverage. This is bad, Buffy."

Willow walks in then. "It's Kennedy, guys. I can't find her anywhere."

"Well, then, we're good, right?" Faith says snidely. "Good riddance to bad trash."

Willow whirls on Faith. "You shut your damned mouth. It's your fault she left," she turns to look at Buffy. "She said something about earning her place here."

"Jack must have found her," Buffy sighs. "Great. I'll go after her. Make sure no one leaves."

"I'm going with you," Willow says. She sees Buffy's frown and shakes her head. "You can't stop me, Buffy. I have to be there with her. If we're too late…" she fades into determined silence.

"Fine. Giles, make sure everyone stays here," Buffy leaves to head toward their weapon cache, a closet full of various Slayer gear. There were many closets like this all over the hotel, in case of an emergency.

Willow follows Buffy quietly. When they get to the closet, Buffy turns to face Willow. "You know what Jack the Ripper is capable of. You've seen his handiwork."

"I know."

"If we find Kennedy and she's been hurt," Buffy sees Willow's eyes darken. "I'll take you down if I have to, Will."

"What?" Willow's expression changes in a blink of an eye.

Buffy shakes her head and gathers a few stakes, stuffing them into her pockets. "You won't be evil Willow again. Not on my watch. If I see so much a black strand of hair, you're going to get knocked out, got it?"

"Got it…" Willow murmurs. She knows what she's capable of and fears it more than anything. She knows that Buffy is just trying to protect her. "But if he's hurt her, Buffy--"

"We'll deal with it. Together," Buffy puts an encouraging hand on her friends' shoulder. "We take care of our own here."

Jack the Ripper is a tall, handsome man. His blue eyes are piercing as he stares out at the night sky from his lair within the machinery of Big Ben. Brown hair flowing to past his shoulders and a billowing cape wave in the high winds. He smiles a cruel, mirthless smile as he turns to face his latest victim.

Kennedy struggles against the bonds that hold her to a long table. She tries to kick and thrash her way out but to no avail. She growls in frustration and strains her neck to look at her captor. "What the hell do you want with me?"

Jack's smile broadens, this time revealing pleasure. "I want what I've wanted with all the others…"

"I'm not like your other girls, you moron," Kennedy hisses.

"Oh, I'm quite aware, Slayer," Jack replied, stepping towards Kennedy. He stands over her, looking down with a sadistic grin. Reaching down, he traces a finger down Kennedy's jaw line. "You're very different. But inside," he presses a long fingernail into Kennedy's neck. "You're all the same."

Kennedy sets her teeth, bracing herself for pain. Jack merely walks away. "They all beg, in the end."

"The girls?" Kennedy asks, unable to stop herself.

"Everyone. They all beg for me to end their pathetic lives," Jack looks out at London. "Just once I'd like a woman of strength. One to shed more than just tears and blood to me. A Slayer is more than that. All of you Slayers are more."

Jack shakes his head. "You will be the first. How convenient of you to gather here in London. I can pick you off, one by one. I hear a Slayer's blood is to die for. Seeing as I'm already dead, I don't think I have much to fear."

For the first time in a long time, Kennedy is actually afraid. "We're never alone."

"You were."


	5. Chapter 5

The Search

"Everyone can retire to their rooms," Giles announces once Willow and Buffy are gone. "However, I'd like the following people to remain behind for a moment: Roger Ashford, Jennifer Danvers, Xander Harris, Maxwell Matheson, and Dawn Summers. That is all; thank you."

Slowly the men and women file out of the conference room, no one asking any questions. Many of the Watcher hopefuls have adopted the philosophy that if they stay quiet and do as they're told, their chances become greater.

The remaining men and women take seats in the front row and wait for Giles to address them. "The five of you have been selected as the first to undergo the Watcher screening process. As it stands, you have the most pertinent experience that correlates with the job you'd be performing.

"Mr. Ashford, your brother was one of the most esteemed members of the original Council. You were already starting your training when the First's minions destroyed it," Giles continues.

Roger Ashford, a short older man wearing thick framed glasses, nods slightly but says nothing. He seems to be holding back an extreme emotion, possibly overcome by grief at the mention of his deceased brother.

"Miss Danvers," Giles looks to the younger woman whose brown hair is in a severe bun at the top of her head. "You and Mr. Matheson, excuse me, Major Matheson," he looks to the middle aged man dressed in US Army fatigues, "have spent some considerable time involved in the Initiative, giving you quite remarkable up-close experience with what you'd be facing as a Watcher."

Giles looks at Xander and Dawn, who seem bored with Giles' speech. "Nine long years we've spent side-by-side actually aiding an active Slayer against supernatural evil. I can't think of two more likely candidates than Xander Harris and Dawn Summers."

Dawn beams, pleased with Giles' recognition. Xander is a little more skeptical, however. "So, what do we do as Watcher candidates? Weren't there certain rites and rituals and ceremonies and other things involved?"

Giles nods. "Quite right, Xander. However, as this is a brand new Watcher's organization, more in league with the Slayers than ever before. Buffy and I have contrived a brand new system--"

"Are you daft man?" Ashford suddenly bursts. "You're throwing away generations of custom!"

Raising an eyebrow, Giles looks hard at Ashford, who's standing up, his fists clenched angrily. Looking around, Ashford realizes that he's the only one angry and he sits slowly. "Those long cherished customs are what drove Buffy from the fold in the first place, Mr. Ashford. Have faith, sir; that we'll be honoring many of the ancient ways but we must move with the times or we'll be swallowed by the history that we so tenaciously clung to before the tragedy."

"Here, here," Dawn exclaims and then blushes as the group looks at her, their faces nondescript. "Sorry."

"If you genuinely have a complaint about the way I'm running things, Mr. Ashford, then you are more than welcome to leave," Giles finishes in his "no nonsense" tone that Xander and Dawn recognize all too well. He will not tolerate any argument.

Ashford says nothing but glares at Giles reproachfully. Giles stares him down until the man looks down at his feet. "Any questions, then?" No one does. "Excellent. That being taken care of, you will spend one month with an active Slayer, either Buffy, Faith, Kennedy, Caridad, and Rona. In that time I, or my assistant Andrew Wells, will check your progress periodically. If you are deemed worthy after one month's time, you will be assigned your own Slayer."

Ashford opens his mouth to protest but clamps it shut immediately. Everyone seems to wait for him to say something but he remains quiet. Giles smiles. "I will have your assignments in the morning. In the meantime, get some rest. It's already been a long night."

Everyone but Xander and Dawn leave. Giles looks at them expectantly. After a moment of silence he finally says, "I know you must be wondering why I'm allowing a man from the former Council to even be allowed to join this new organization--"

Dawn makes a disgusted face. "No way. I want to know if it's true."

"If what's true?' Giles asks, perplexed.

"If you meant what you said about Andrew," Xander says. "Your assistant?"

Dawn nods. "I mean, ew. Gross."

Ashford storms to his room, throwing his blazer down onto the double bed in a furious huff. He paces his room for a few moments, pounding a fist into his open palm. He slumps down onto his bed and opens a night stand drawer, revealing a bottle of Scotch. Drinking straight from the bottle, he thinks about the conversation he's just had. Or, rather, the lecture he's just received. "Bloody rogue Watcher. Thinks he can change the world, eh? I'll show him… I'll show them why the customs stayed the way they had for so long…" he takes another long drink before returning the bottle and preparing for bed.

"Big Ben," Willow says, standing up from where she'd been kneeling in front of a large map of the city of London. The map glows for another second before becoming normal again. "Kennedy's in Big Ben. Alive. She's got to be alive."

"She is, Will," Buffy assures her best friend. "The spell wouldn't even work on her if she wasn't."

Willow doesn't look too sure but nods anyway. She has to remain calm and focused on the task at hand. If she loses control, she'll never be able to help Kennedy. While her feelings for the new Slayer are conflicted at best, she knows that things will never get resolved if the girl is killed.

Buffy, on the other hand, tries not to think about the hostage. That is Willow's territory. Her job is to find the kidnapper and render him incapable of ever hurting anyone ever again. She owes it to Willow, who may be losing someone to him, and to the countless women he's murdered and is planning to murder. "Let's go."

The two women leave the hotel, their goal simple: get to Big Ben. They make good time, stopping in front of the landmark. "Ready?" Buffy asks.

Willow shakes her head, clearly not ready to face what Jack the Ripper may have done to her girlfriend. She shrugs and clutches her bag of spell components tightly, as though just having them makes all the difference in the world. Maybe it does. It's funny how undressed Buffy feels without her stake at hand. It must be the same for the witch.

"Slayer!" a voice booms from the clock tower. The pair looks up to see Jack standing on the ledge, looking down on them. "I wasn't expecting you quite so soon! I was just about to prepare dinner. Would you care to come up and join me?" he notices Willow for the first time. "And you brought desert! I thought you Americans are supposed to be rude!"

"Come down here and see how polite I am!" Buffy calls. The blood has drained from Willow's face. "He hasn't hurt her yet, Will. Stay calm. We'll get him."

"If you've hurt Kennedy," Willow screams suddenly and starts to tear up the stairs toward the clock tower.

Kennedy hears Willow's voice. She lifts her head but still can't move. "She came for me…"

Jack turns, his forehead ridged with the tell-tale sign of his demonic roots. His teeth are fanged as he closes in on his captive. "She came for a corpse, Slayer."

Sinking his teeth in Kennedy's neck, he begins to drink. Kennedy tries to scream but can't get past the gurgles from blood rushing from her throat. She thrashes wildly but is unable to fight him off.

Jack stands, wiping his mouth. "I can feel your strength, Slayer. Taste it. The exhilaration is maddening. I will have to take my time. First I'll kill your friend, keep the original Slayer… and then I'll finish you off."

"Typical villain flaw…" Kennedy mutters weakly. "Telling me your master plan."

Jack back hands Kennedy, knocking her unconscious. Ordinarily her Slayer strength would prevent her from such damage but being drained of blood has a way of weakening even a Slayer's natural defenses.

"You don't even know half of my 'master plan,' ignorant girl," Jack snarls as he prepares for his battle against Buffy and Willow.


	6. Chapter 6

Hours Later:

Faith Lehane looks at Jennifer Danvers, her new Watcher, frowning as she puts her hands on her hips. "So, you're my Watcher, huh? In training and whatnot?"

Jennifer nods once. "It appears to be so, Miss Lehane."

Faith rolls her eyes. "It's just Faith, okay?" she shook her head. "You know, my old Watcher died, right? Killed by a vampire who was wicked demonic. And I'm an ex-murderer. I've killed people. And I tried to kill Buffy…"

"I'm aware of your past, Faith," Jennifer says. "But Mr. Giles and Miss Summers are confident that you are trust-worthy."

"And that's good enough for you?" Faith asks, raising an eyebrow.

Jennifer shakes her head. "No," she admits. "But I believe that everyone deserves a fair second chance. Isn't that what your 'gang' promotes? In fact, I do believe that is the symbolism behind Miss Summers reviving the organization that had once driven the pair of you from its ranks. I am honored to be a part of such a group."

Faith grins and holds out a hand. "You're all right, Miss Danvers."

"Please," Jennifer takes Faith's hands and firmly shakes it. "Call me Jennifer."

"Why didn't you tell me you were Giles' assistant?" Dawn asks Andrew as they head through the lobby toward the elevator. She presses the call button and turns to face the young man. "We're always stuck doing things together and you never mentioned anything!"

Andrew sticks his hands in his pockets and shrugs. "I don't know. I didn't think it was important, I guess…"

"Bull," Dawn snaps. "Why'd you keep it a secret?"

"Because I knew you'd be all mad about it!" Andrew whines. "Giles was going to make me a Watcher, too, but I'm such a spaz that he made me his personal secretary, okay? Happy now?"

Dawn is quiet. The elevator "dings" its arrival. "He was going to make you a Watcher?"

"Yes, but I failed miserably," Andrew says defensively. "I can't leave because no one trusts me and I'm only good enough to get people coffee and read old books that no one else has time to. I get to watch people like Faith and Spike and Willow get their chances to redeem themselves all over the place but everyone sees me as stupid, sucky-at-being-evil Andrew while everyone else gets to be important good guys. Does that clear things up to you?"

With that, Andrew gets into the empty elevator and closes the door. Dawn hangs her head, ashamed. She hadn't known Andrew feels that way. He's never said anything. She looks at her watch and shakes her head. "Yes. A meeting with Rona. I'm so excited," she mutters, not terribly excited at all. She hits the elevator call button again.

The front door burst open as Buffy and Willow enter the hotel, each supporting a barely conscious Kennedy. There is blood all over the girl's neck. "Oh my God!" Dawn hurries to help them. "What the hell happened?"

Hours Earlier:

Buffy crashes through a door, its frame splintering as she struggles to stay in the room. Jack is upon her almost instantly, knocking her further back into the clockworks.

"I'd expected more from Miss Slayer USA," Jack laughs, kicking Buffy in the stomach. She stumbles back but maintains her footing. "If you're the best there is, the other Slayers will be fish in a barrel!"

Buffy ducks to avoid one of Jack's wild swings and rises with a sharp uppercut to the ribs. Jack staggers to hold his ground. "You talk too much, Jack, anyone ever tell you that?"

"He was probably too busy flapping his jaw to notice," Willow says suddenly from behind Jack. Jack turns in time to receive a hard punch in the jaw. "That's for biting my girlfriend, Jack-ass."

"Good one, Will," Buffy says, referring to Willow's pun as well as the punch. She drops to sweep Jack's legs out from beneath him, knocking him to the floor. "Is Kennedy all right?"

Willow is rubbing a sore fist. "I don't know. She's unconscious. And he drained her pretty good."

Buffy looks down at Jack, who is rubbing his head in a dumbfounded manner. "That explains your deliriousness. Deliriosity?" she looks to Willow for help. The red head shrugs. "Your screwed up-ness. Slayer's blood too rich for you? So much strength and power coursing through you. It's kicking your ass, isn't it?"

Jack shakes his head, as though he is groggy. "I can handle it…" he stands, though it's obvious that he's light-headed.

"Too bad you didn't know Spike," Buffy pauses for a moment, reflecting on her relationship with the vampire. "He would have told you to wait for half an hour to fight after drinking Slayer blood."

"Like swimming," Kennedy's voice calls weakly from Jack's lair.

Willow turns excitedly. "Kennedy!" she hurries to check on her girlfriend. "Are you all right, darling?"

Jack uses the distraction to throw Buffy back into the gears. Buffy shrieks as she disappears into the machinery. "One down," Jack states as he turns to face Willow and Kennedy.

"Two to go," Willow finishes, a look of horror on her face. "Oh God, Buffy!"

"Untie me, Willow!" Kennedy screams from the table on which she's tied. Willow remains frozen to the spot. "Willow!"

Jack is drawing nearer to the two women, staggering slightly and cracking his knuckles while trying to retain his "cool." He chuckles at Willow's stunned appearance. "Shell shock, baby Slayer. Think about it. She watched me kill her best friend. Because she was more concerned about you. She let her friend die."

Willow makes no move toward either Jack or Kennedy. Kennedy struggles but she'd been unable to break loose with all her strength so she certainly wasn't making any progress in her weakened state. "Willow, snap out of it!"

"Two to go," Willow murmurs, her hair darkening as she faces Jack head on, her face contorting in rage. Jack pauses, unsure of what is happening. "I skinned a man alive once," she takes a step toward Jack.

"No," Kennedy breathes, watching in horror. "No, don't do this!"

"Hush, darling," Willow calls over her shoulder. "You'll have a turn."

"What's going on?" Jack asks, fear creeping into his voice. His hair starts to stand on end as she gets closer.

Willow smirks. "You're going to die," she says sweetly. "I've already flayed a man. I'll have to think about what I'd do to a vampire. But you'd survive something like that, huh?" her hair is completely black now. "But first, you're going to tell me why you killed my best friend."

Jack is lifted by some unseen force and slammed into a wall. "I'd choose my words carefully, were I you. They determine your outcome," Willow replies.

"I'm a vampire, she's a Slayer," Jack chatters involuntarily. "Simple as that."

"Wrong answer, Jack," Willow slams him against the wall again. "One more chance. You knew where Giles' room was and where we're housed. Why'd you kill my best friend, Jack the Ripper?"

Jack is turned upside down. "I got a note!" Jack screamed. "I just wanted to kill things. But I got a note about you Slayers. I had to do it! I don't know who sent it, though, I swear!"

"Congratulations, Jack," a sharp voice says from nearby. "You've been screwed by the Scooby gang."

Jack drops to the floor in time to see Buffy standing over him, a wooden stake in hand. "Say good night, Gracie," she stabs the stake into his chest, dusting him instantly.

Willow returns to normal, a proud smile on her face. "And to think, I was afraid of drama for so long."

"You were great, Will," Buffy throws an arm over her best friend's shoulder.

Kennedy cranes her neck, her jaw slack. "That was a trick? You PLANNED that?"

Buffy unties Kennedy. "When you've been working with someone as long as Willow and I've been, some things come naturally. How are you?"

"Sore," Kennedy says, rubbing her wrists as she sits up. She wavers. "And weak, apparently.

"You forgot stupid," Buffy says harshly, now sure that the younger Slayer is all right. "He could have killed you. We should have let him."

Kennedy's eyes narrow. "You can't say that to me," she says in a haughty tone that comes from an aristocratic background.

"She can and will, Kennedy," Willow says, her tone only barely nicer than Buffy's. "Running off put your life in danger. Coming after you put our lives in danger. Leaving the girls and potential Watchers put their lives in danger. I don't care what you think about your power and where you think you belong in the hierarchy, there's always someone more powerful than you are."

Kennedy stares at Willow, surprised. "You're ganging up on me…"

"Sucks, doesn't it?" Buffy asks. "You pull this kind of stunt again, the demons can have you. We're a team, Kennedy. If one member of the team gets too big for her britches, we deal with it. Are we going to have to deal with you?"

Kennedy is quiet. Willow nudges her gently. "Are we?"

"No," Kennedy mumbles.

Willow throws her arms around Kennedy tightly. "Oh, baby I was so worried about you!" her voice is pained, as though she's been aching to explode like this. "Don't ever scare me like that again!"

Now:

"So, you faked Jack the Ripper out?" Xander asks, eyes wide. "Way to go, Will!"

Willow blushes. She's sitting on the edge of Kennedy's bed in the makeshift infirmary in the basement of the hotel. "It was just a Glamour, really. But with Kennedy genuinely freaked out, Jack was easy to fool."

Kennedy is lying in the bed with the blankets pulled over her head, as though she's asleep. In reality, she's avoiding conversation, embarrassed by her actions.

Buffy looks to Xander and Dawn. "You guys are officially Watchers in training now, then? Congrats!"

Dawn rolls her eyes. "I have to be Rona's Watcher. What a drag! She's just going to argue with me the whole time!"

"But you're a professional little sister. Aren't you experienced in arguing?" Faith asks from the doorway. She gives a wave before stepping in. "Jeeves is waiting for everyone upstairs. He's like a proper British word with you all, I'm sure."

The gang gets up to go upstairs. Willow gives Kennedy a kiss where her head is under the blanket before following the others.

Faith peers out the door after them. When she is satisfied that they're gone, she strides over to the bed and jumps back onto it. "Wake up, Slayerette. They're gone now. You can quit faking."

Kennedy sits up angrily. "What do you want?"

"Well, thought I'd see what it feels like to fall from grace," Faith smiles. "You've disappointed your girlfriend and all of your friends, what will you do now?"

"Shut up," Kennedy snaps.

"Really, how do you feel?" Faith asks more politely.

Kennedy shrugs. "Stupid. After the verbal bashing from Buffy, though, it was all over. It was like nothing happened."

"See?" Faith grins. "This place is all about second chances. When you've got friends like these, you're allowed to make mistakes. No one here will write you off. Except for me, of course."

Kennedy is quiet as she thinks about what Faith is saying. "Think about it? Who would Buffy have left if she got rid of everyone for screwing up? There'd be Angel. And me. And Willow. And Spike. And Giles. Don't forget Dawn. The gang would be her and Xander. Tragic, huh?"

Faith gets up and stretches her arms over her head as she heads back to the door. "So that's the trick. You're on turn number two. Keep your nose clean and lose the attitude problem and you'll be five-by-five.  
"That's funny, coming from you," Kennedy smiles.

"Yeah, I'm funny like that."


End file.
